Beyond the Spotlight | Volume: 1

5

The comeback had been a huge success, with their fans loving every bit of it. Yet, the true test of its impact lay ahead as Seonghwa and Hongjoong stood on the stage of Music Bank. Their song, "Narcissistic," was up against another group's track, "Rhythm." The tension was palpable as the points were being tallied, the suspense hanging thick in the air.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong clasped their hands together, silently praying for a win. Across the stage, the members of the other group were doing the same, each heart beating with hope and anticipation.

**Host:** "And now, the moment we've all been waiting for. The winner of this week’s Music Bank is…"

The screen flashed, and time seemed to slow down. Seonghwa’s breath caught in his throat, Hongjoong's grip on his hand tightening.

**Host:** "Rhythm by the Star Chasers!"

The crowd erupted in cheers for the winners, but for Seonghwa, it felt like the ground had fallen out from under him. He forced a smile, clapping politely for the other group, his congratulations sounding hollow even to his own ears.

**Seonghwa:** (forcing cheerfulness) "Congratulations! You guys did great."

Hongjoong sighed inwardly, recognizing the strain in Seonghwa’s voice. He too was disappointed, feeling the sting of the loss, but he managed to keep his composure.

**Hongjoong:** (softly to Seonghwa) "Let's get through this. We'll talk later."

As the celebrations continued on stage, Seonghwa’s mind was elsewhere, swirling with frustration and disappointment. The moment they were off stage and away from prying eyes, his facade crumbled.

**Seonghwa:** (bitterly) " Fuck this absolute piece of shit Music Bank. We worked so hard for this. What was the point?"

**Hongjoong:** (trying to be calm) "I know, Seonghwa. It’s tough. But we need to keep pushing forward. This isn’t the end."

Seonghwa shook his head, anger and sorrow mingling in his eyes. "It feels like it. How many times do we have to be second best?"

Hongjoong put a comforting arm around Seonghwa’s shoulders. "We’ll get there. We just need to stay focused and keep improving. This was a setback, not a failure."

Back at the dorm, Hongjoong braced himself for Seonghwa’s inevitable outburst. Despite his own disappointment, he knew he had to be the steady presence, the anchor for his friend.

**Seonghwa:** (angrily) "I’m so tired of this! Every time we think we’re close, it slips away."

**Hongjoong:** (sighing) "I get it, Seonghwa. I really do. But we can’t let this break us. We’ve achieved so much already, and we have to keep going."

Seonghwa’s shoulders slumped, his anger giving way to exhaustion. "It just hurts, Hongjoong. All that effort, and it still wasn’t enough."

Hongjoong nodded, understanding the pain all too well. "I know. But we’ll use this to fuel us, to make us even better. We owe it to ourselves and our fans."

Seonghwa's frustration boiled over. He paced back and forth, his mind racing with anger and resentment.

**Seonghwa:** (voice rising) "This is ridiculous! I can't believe we lost. Music Bank is rigged. There's no way Star Chasers won fairly. They must have paid their way through!"

Hongjoong watched Seonghwa with growing concern. "Seonghwa, calm down. We don’t know that for sure. We can’t start making accusations without proof."

**Seonghwa:** (ignoring Hongjoong) "And our management team? Useless! They didn’t do enough to promote us. We were set up to fail from the start!"

Hongjoong’s patience snapped. "Enough, Seonghwa! Blaming everyone else isn't going to help. We lost, yes, but that doesn't mean the whole system is against us."